Car-coupling



v(No Model.)

' I. SHOTWBLL.

` GAB. GOUPLING.

No. 389,669. Patented Sept. V18V, 1888.

MMM 1 n mi M114 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ISAAC SHOTWELL, OF BANCROFT, MICHIGAN.

CAR-COUPLING.

PECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 389,669, dated September 18, 1888.

Application filed June 4. 1888. Serial No. 276,006. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom it mag/concern:

Be it known that I, lsAAc SHorwELL, of Bancroft, in the county of Shiawassee and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Car-Couplings, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of my invention is to provide a car with a combined link-lifter and link-guide and means for raising and dropping the pin at the pleasure of the attendant, and without the necessity of the attendant entering 4between th'e cars either to couple oruncouple,*and to effect these results without achange in the form of the ordinaryl draw-head,link, and pin and the invention consists in the parts which will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in lthe. claims.` .v A

Reference is to be Ihad to the accompanying drawings, forming a part'of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l represents an endview of a car provided with a draw-head, link, and pin and my improved mechanism. Fig. 2 isa sectional View taken on the line ma: of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 .is an elevation of the coupling-pin.

The body of a car A is provided with a drawhead, B, pin C, and link D, of the ordinary construction. The under side of the car, near the inner end of the draw-head, is provided with two hangers, E. Each of said hangers is provided with a V-shaped slot, E.

F F are two arms. These arms are rigidly united by an inner cross-rod, F', and an outer cross-bar ,F2- The outer upper ends, F4, of these arms are curved. Immediately in the rear of the curved ends are bevel or incline surfaces F. These arms are provided with small openings ff. The cross-rod F is engaged in the V-shaped slots E in the hangers E, and the arms F F lie outside of the respective hangers' aforesaid. Y

F5 represents a chain (shown partly in dotted lines in Fig. l) having its ends in engagement with the openings f in the outer ends of the arms FF, respectively. Said chain is engaged to the draw-head and it supports the arms F F, limiting their downward move- 5o ment.

G G indicate hangers immediately under the inclined slots g g.4 H H are two horizontal rods mounted Withi the inclined slots g g. The outer ends, H H,

of these rods are bent at right angles, so as to form crank-arms.

H5 H2 represent inwardly-extending continuations of the rods H H. These continuations are bent backward and downward, then bent upon themselves, so as to form two inner loops, H5, (one on each side of the draw-head.)h The said rod is then curved outward and upward, H4, and thence straight, H5, horizontally above the draw-head. The severalparts ofthe device marked H, H', H2, H3, H4, and H5 are formed of a single rod. Each loop H3 of said rod is engaged with the upper end of one of the two short chains I. The lower end of. each chain I is engaged in one of Lthe openings f in the arms F. 'lhe horizontal cross-piece H5 aforesaid is provided'with a short chain, J.' The lower end of said chain is engaged to one end of a double snap-hook, J. The other end of said hook is engaged to the upper end of the coupling-pin C.

The operation of the invention is as follows: The normal position of the several parts is that which is shown in the drawings in Fig. 1, and alsoin full lines in Fig. 2. The weight of the link-lifting arms F causes them to hang downward and remain suspended by the chain F5. The normal position. of the horizontal piece H5 is above the top of the coupling-pin C a distance equal to the length of the short chain J and its snap hook J. By moving the crank-arms H outward from their vertical normal position the cross-piece H5, chain J, and hook J', and the coupling-piu C are thereby lifted.

The arrangement of the several parts is such that when the pin is lifted by the foregoing means it is only elevated to an extent to cause it to disengage from a link (in uncoupling) or to leave a clear passagewayin the draw-head for the entrance of a link in coupling. To raise the link-lifting arms F F, the crankarms H are moved backward. Abackward movement of said crank-arms turns the rod H and causes the elevation of the inner looped ends, H5, thereof. The upward movement of said looped ends and their chains I causes the arms end of a car. These hangers are provided with IOO F to rise. lWhen these looped ends H3 of the rod are elevated, the forward part, HJ1 H5, thereof is lowered. When the arms F are thus elevated the outer cross-bar, F2, thereof is carried upward under the link, and the link thereby elevated and held in any desired angle, so as to cause it to enter the draw-head of a car to be coupled. The position of the several parts, when the link is held in an elevated position, is shown in dotted lines, Fig. 2. It will be observed that the pinflifting chain J permits of a limited movement of the hori zontal part H5 of the bent rod without displacing or withdrawing the pin. The two extremes to which the part H may be moved without displacing the pin are shown by the full and dotted lines, Fig. 2.

When a crank arm, H', is released from a hand of an attendant, the arms F will descend to the position shown in Fig. l and in full lines, Fig. 2, and the several parts caused to occupy the positions shown in said full-line figures. The arrangement of the bent rod and its coupling-pin C is such that the greater weight is on the outer side of the horizontal part H, so as to normally carry the crank-arms H in a vertical position and permit the pin to lie in the vertical openings in the draw-head.

From the foregoing it will be observed that an attendant in coupling oars can raise or lowera pin at pleasure in either car by actuating the crank-arms H', and by the same crank-arms he 'can elevate a link to any de sired angle so as to cause said link to enter the draw-head of a still or approaching car.

The object in curving the outer upper sides, F4, of the arms F is to cause the outer end of said arms to glide under an opposing drawhead after the cars have been coupled. Vhen the arms Fare raised and the inclined surface F thereof brought into contact with the under side of the draw-head, the said arms will be moved slightly outward, so as to straighten the link and cause it to occupy the desired position. rlhe V-shaped slots E in the hangers E permit the arms F to move forward, as stated, and to move inward when the two draw-heads are forced together. Theinclined slots g in the hangers G will permit the rod H and integral parts to move backward should the outer cross-piece, H1", come into contact with a like piece on another car.

cross-bar adapted to engage the under side of 6o a link, of a pin-lifter mounted in bearings and provided with outward and inward extensions, the inner part of said pin-lifter being engaged to the link-lifter, and the outer part of the pinlifter being engaged to the couplingpin, substantially as specified.

2. The combination of a link-lifter and a pin-lifter, the latter being mounted in inclined bearings and provided with one or more crankarms, the inner end of the link-lifter being pivotally mounted in V-shaped bearings, the inner end of the pin-lifter being engaged to the link-lifter, and the outer end of said pinlifter being engaged to the coupling-pin, substantially as specified.

3. The combination of a link-lifter and a pin-lifter, the link-lifter consisting of two arms connected at their inner ends bya cross-rod and at their outer ends by a cross-bar, the outer parts of said arms being curved and inclined, as specified, two hangers mounted near the inner end of a draw-head, each of said hangers being provided with a V-shaped slot, the inner cross-bar on the arms aforesaid being mounted in said slots, a chain, Fengaged to the draw-head and arms aforesaid, the pinlifter aforesaid, consisting of crank arms H', horizontal parts H, rearwardly-inclined part H, outward and upward part H, and outer cross-piece, H5, all formed of a single integral rod, hangers G, provided with inclined slots, the horizontal parts H of the pin-lifter being mounted in said slots, the outer pin-lifting part, H5, being provided with a chain, one end of said chain being in engagement with a coupling-pin, and chains I, connecting the inner end of the pin-lifter to the link-lifter, substantially as specified.

ISAAC SHOTWELL.

Vitnesses:

WALTER M. STRONG, GILBERT H. FnLLow.` 

